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D. Research 25. The size and resources of Western Samoa have so far made it impossible for the New Zealand authorities to establish research facilities in the Territory to cover necessary fields such as economic development and education. For economic research it has had to depend largely upon the work of the New Zealand Reparations Estates, which are not a part of the Administration (see " Reparations Estates"). Where necessary, experts have been brought from New Zealand. 26. The New Zealand Government now hopes that the co-operative research work projected under the new South Pacific Commission can be of direct aid in the development of the Territory. 11. POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT A. The Basis of Government 1. The constitutional basis of the present system of Government in Western Samoa is provided by the Samoa Act, 1921, and subsequent amendments together with other legislation as referred to below. The Samoa Act, 1921, implemented the mandate as conferred at that time by the League of Nations upon His Britannic Majesty, to be exercised on his behalf by the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand. It is based on the principle that the New Zealand Government " shall have full power of administration and legislation . . . subject to the terms of the mandate, as an integral portion of the Dominion of New Zealand." 2. Under the new Trusteeship Agreement the New Zealand Government assumes direct responsibility for the Government of the Territory. Although provisions of that Agreement are somewhat different from the terms of the mandate, the New Zealand Government, however, has not yet revised formally the constitutional basis of the Territory, so that authority still derives from this earlier body of the law. B. Executive Government 3. The Samoa Act vests the executive Government of the territory in " His Majesty the King in the same manner as if the Territory were part of His Majesty's Dominions." It provides that an Administrator shall be appointed by the Governor-General of New Zealand, to be charged with the administration of the Territory, subject to the control of the Minister of External Affairs. The last named has subsequently been changed to the Minister of Island Territories, the portfolio being held currently by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. 4. With subsequent legislation the Samoa Act sets up the central executive Departments of administration. The system has now been somewhat simplified from that first developed by the New Zealand authorities. The present Departments are as follows : (i) Administrator and Government House; (ii) Education; (iii) Health; (iv) Justice, with which is associated Labour and the Public Trust; (v) Lands and Survey; (vi) Native Affairs ; (vii) Police and Prisons; (viii) Postal and Radio ; (ix) Public Works ; (x) Secretariat; (xi) Treasury, Customs, Produce Inspection, &c. The heads of Departments are appointed by the New Zealand Public Service Commission, with the exception of the Chief Judge, who is appointed by the Minister.

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